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<h1>It's definitely kind of true for sure maybe...</h1>

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<li><a href="#part1">Expressing different degrees of certainty</a></li>
<li><a href="#part2">Using 「かもしれない」 to express uncertainty</a></li>
<li><a href="#part3">Using 「でしょう」 to express a fair amount of certainty (polite)</a></li>
<li><a href="#part4">Using 「でしょう」 and 「だろう」 to express a strong amount of certainty (casual)</a></li>
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<h2 id="part1">Expressing different degrees of certainty</h2>
In general, Japanese people don't assert themselves of something unless they are absolutely sure that it is correct.  This accounts for the
incredibly frequent use of 「～と<span title="おもう - to think" class="popup">思う</span>」 and the various grammatical expressions used to express specific
levels of certainty.  We will go over these expressions starting from the less certain to the most certain.

<h2 id="part2">Using 「かもしれない」 to express uncertainty</h2>
「かもしれない」 is used to mean "maybe" or "possibly" and is less certain than the word 「<span title="たぶん  - perhaps; probably" class="popup">多分</span>」.  It attaches to the end of a complete
clause.  For noun and na-adjective clauses, the declarative 「だ」 must be removed.  It can also be written in kanji as 「かも知れない」 and you can
treat it the same as a negative ru-verb (there is no positive equivalent) so the masu-form would become 「かもしれません」.
In casual speech, it can be abbreviated to just 「かも」.
There is also a very masculine version 「かもしれん」, which is simply a different type of negative verb <a href="negverb2.html">covered here</a>.

<div class="sumbox">
<span class="summary">Expressing uncertainty with 「かもしれない」</span>
<ul>
<li>Simply attach 「かもしれない」 or 「かも知れない」 to the clause
<br />例）　<span title="えいが - movie" class="popup">映画</span>を<span title="みる - to see" class="popup">見た</span><em>かもしれない</em>
<br />例）　<span title="かれ - he; boyfriend" class="popup">彼</span>は<span title="がくせい - student" class="popup">学生</span><em>かもしれない</em>
<br />例）　<span title="それ - that" class="popup">それ</span>は<span title="おもしろい - interesting" class="popup">面白い</span><em>かもしれない</em></li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Noun and na-adjective clauses must <strong>not</strong> use the declarative 「だ」
<br />例）　<span title="せんせい - teacher" class="popup">先生</span><em><strike>だ</strike></em>かもしれない → <span title="せんせい - teacher" class="popup">先生</span>かもしれない
<br />例）　<span title="たいくつ - boredom" class="popup">退屈</span><em><strike>だ</strike></em>かもしれない → <span title="たいくつ - boredom" class="popup">退屈</span>かもしれない</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>It can be abbreviated to just 「かも」 in casual speech
<br />例）　<span title="おもしろい - interesting" class="popup">面白い</span><em>かも<strike>しれない</strike></em> → <span title="おもしろい - interesting" class="popup">面白い</span><em>かも</em></li>
</ul>
</div>


<h3>Examples</h3>
（１）　スミスさんは<span title="しょくどう - cafeteria; dining hall" class="popup">食堂</span>に<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行った</span><em>かもしれません</em>。- Smith-san may have gone to the cafeteria.
<br />（２）　<span title="あめ - rain" class="popup">雨</span>で<span title="しあい - match; game" class="popup">試合</span>は<span title="ちゅうし - cancellation" class="popup">中止</span>に<span title="なる - to become" class="popup">なる</span><em>かもしれない</em>ね。 - The game may become canceled by rain, huh?
<br />（３）　<span title="この - this" class="popup">この</span><span title="えいが - movie" class="popup">映画</span>は<span title="いっかい - one time" class="popup">一回</span><span title="みる - to see" class="popup">見た</span><span title="こと - matter; event" class="popup">こと</span><span title="ある - to exist (inanimate)" class="popup">ある</span><em>かも</em>！- I might have already seen this movie once.
<br />（４）　<span title="あそこ - over there" class="popup">あそこ</span>が<span title="よよぎ - Yoyogi" class="popup">代々木</span><span title="こうえん - park" class="popup">公園</span><em>かもしれない</em>。- That might be Yoyogi park over there.
<br />（５）　<span title="もう - already" class="popup">もう</span><span title="にげる - to run away" class="popup">逃げられない</span><em>かもしれん</em>ぞ。- Might not be able to escape anymore, you know.


<h2 id="part3">Using 「でしょう」 to express a fair amount of certainty (polite)</h2>
「でしょう」 is used to express a level of some certainty and is close in meaning to 「<span title="たぶん  - perhaps; probably" class="popup">多分</span>」.  Just like 「～です／～ます」, it must come at the end of a
complete sentence.  It does not have any other conjugations.  You can also replace 「～ですか」 with 「～でしょうか」 to make the question sound slightly
more polite and less assuming by adding a slight level of uncertainty.

<h3>Examples</h3>
（１）　<span title="あした - tomorrow" class="popup">明日</span>も<span title="あめ - rain" class="popup">雨</span><em>でしょう</em>。- Probably rain tomorrow too.
<br />（２）　<span title="あなた - you" class="popup">あなた</span>は、<span title="がくせい - student" class="popup">学生</span>さん<em>でしょう</em>か。- Are (you) student?
<br />（３）　<span title="これから - from here on" class="popup">これから</span><span title="どこ - where" class="popup">どこ</span>へ<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行く</span>ん<em>でしょう</em>か？- Where (are you) going from here?


<p>If you want to sound really, really polite, you can even add 「～でしょうか」 to the end of a 「～ます」 ending.
<br />（４）　<span title="やすむ - to rest" class="popup">休ませて</span><span title="いただく - to receive (hum)" class="popup">いただけます</span><em>でしょうか</em>。- May I receive the favor of resting, possibly?
</p>

<h2 id="part4">Using 「でしょう」 and 「だろう」 to express strong amount of certainty (casual)</h2>
The casual equivalent of 「でしょう」 is surprisingly enough 「でしょう」.  However, when you are speaking in a polite manner, the 「でしょう」 is enunciated
flatly while in casual speech, it has a rising intonation and can be shortened to 「でしょ」.  In addition, since people tend to be more assertive in
casual situations, the casual version has a much stronger flavor often sounding more like, "See, I told you so!"

<h3>Examples</h3>
（１）　あっ！<span title="ちこく - tardiness" class="popup">遅刻</span><span title="する - to do" class="popup">しちゃう</span>！- Ah! We're going to be late!
<br />（２）　だから、<span title="じかん - time" class="popup">時間</span>が<span title="ある - to exist (inanimate)" class="popup">ない</span>って<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">言った</span><em>でしょう</em>！- That's why I told you there was no time!

<p>（３）　<span title="これから - from here" class="popup">これから</span><span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べ</span>に<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行く</span>ん<em>でしょ</em>。- You're going to eat from now aren't you?
<br />（４）　だったら？- So what if I am?
</p>

<p>（５）　<span title="そうじ - cleaning" class="popup">掃除</span>、<span title="てつだう - to help; to assist" class="popup">手伝って</span><span title="くれる - to give" class="popup">くれる</span><em>でしょう</em>。- You're going to help me clean, right?
<br />（６）　え？<span title="そう - that is so" class="popup">そう</span>なの？- Huh? Is that so?
</p>

<p>「だろう」 means essentially the same thing as 「でしょう」 except that it sounds more masculine and is used mostly by males.
<br />（A）　アリスは<span title="どこ - where" class="popup">どこ</span>だ？- Where is Alice?
<br />（B）　<span title="もう - already" class="popup">もう</span><span title="ねる - to sleep" class="popup">寝ている</span><em>だろう</em>。- Probably sleeping already.
</p>

<p>（A）　<span title="もう - already" class="popup">もう</span><span title="うち - home; いえ - house" class="popup">家</span>に<span title="かえる - to go home" class="popup">帰る</span>ん<em>だろう</em>。- You're going home already, right?
<br />（B）　<span title="そう - that is so" class="popup">そう</span>よ。- That's right.
</p>

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<div class="small" style="text-align:right;"><pre>This page has last been revised on 2004/12/29</pre></div>

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